Mounting apparatus for circuit board

ABSTRACT

A mounting apparatus for securing a circuit board to a bottom panel includes a first mounting member and a second mounting member. The first mounting member includes a positioning portion, and an installation portion extending from the positioning portion. The second mounting member includes a stopper portion and a locking portion extending from the stopper portion. An installation hole is defined in the locking portion, and a number of blocking portions located on the stopper portion. The bottom panel defines a through hole, and the circuit board defines an installation opening. The installation portion extends though the through hole and is engaged in the installation hole by rotation of the blocking portions, and the positioning portion abuts the bottom panel. The stopper portion is adapted to extend through the installation opening for engaging with the circuit board.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/231,143, filed on Sep. 13, 2011, titled “MOUNTING APPARATUS FOR CIRCUIT BOARD”.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to mounting apparatuses, and more particularly to a mounting apparatus for securing a circuit board to a bottom panel of a computer enclosure.

2. Description of Related Art

Many mounting apparatuses may include a bolt and a nut. The bolt includes a head portion and a shaft. A bottom panel defines a through hole. A circuit board defines a hole. In use, the shaft is extended through the through hole and the hole in the circuit board, and engaged in the nut to secure the circuit board to the bottom panel. The head portion abuts the bottom panel. Thus, the head portion may increase the overall thickness of the bottom panel.

Therefore, there is room for improvement in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many aspects of the embodiments can be better understood with references to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, the emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is an exploded, isometric view of an embodiment of a mounting apparatus for a circuit board.

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1, but viewed in a different aspect.

FIG. 3 is an assembled view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an assembled view of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one.

Referring to FIGS. 1-2, a mounting apparatus for securing a circuit board 30, in accordance with an embodiment, includes a bottom panel 10, a first mounting member 50, and a second mounting member 70. In one embodiment, the bottom panel 10 is a bottom panel of a computer enclosure.

The bottom panel 10 includes a top surface 151 and a bottom surface 153 opposite to the top surface 151. A polygon-shaped concave portion 11 is located in the bottom panel 10. A through hole 13 is defined in the concave portion 11. In one embodiment, the concave portion 11 is hexagon-shaped.

The circuit board 30 defines an installation opening 31. The installation opening 31 includes a narrow portion 311, a guiding portion 312 communicating with the narrow portion 311, and a wide portion 313 communicating with the guiding portion 312. A flange 33 surrounds the edge of the narrow portion 311 and the guiding portion 312. In one embodiment, the flange 33 is U-shaped. Two guiding surfaces 3121 are located on the flange 33. In one embodiment, the two guiding surfaces 3121 are two beveled surfaces.

The first mounting member 50 includes a positioning portion 51, a connecting portion 53 extending from the positioning portion 51, and an installation portion 55 extending from the connecting portion 53. In one embodiment, the installation portion 55 extends from the positioning portion 51. The positioning portion 51 has a polygon-shape corresponding to the concave portion 11. A thickness of the positioning portion 51 is smaller than or equal to depressed depth of the concave portion 11. The positioning portion 51 can be received in the concave portion 11. The connecting portion 53 can be received in the through hole 13. Outer thread 551 is formed on outer surface of the installation portion 55. In one embodiment, the positioning portion 51 is hexagon-shaped, and the installation portion 55 is column-shaped.

The second mounting member 70 includes a stopper portion 71 and a locking portion 73 extending from the stopper portion 71. A plurality of blocking portions 711 is located on the outer surface of the stopper portion 71, for facilitating the rotation of the stopper portion 71. The stopper portion 71 has a first cross section taken along a plane parallel to the bottom panel 10, and the locking portion 73 has a second cross section taken along the plane. Area of the first cross section is greater than area of the second cross section. An installation hole 75 is defined in the locking portion 73 through the stopper portion 71. Inner thread 731 is formed on the inner surface of the installation hole 75, for engaging with the outer thread 551 of the first mounting member 50.

Referring to FIGS. 3-4, in assembly, the first mounting member 50 is moved toward the bottom panel 10, until the installation portion 55 is through the through hole 13. The positioning portion 51 is received in the concave portion 11, for preventing rotation relative to the bottom panel 10, and the connecting portion 53 is received in the through hole 13. The second mounting member 70 is moved towards the installation portion 55, until the installation hole 75 is aligned with the installation portion 55. The second mounting member 70 is rotated to drive the installation portion 55 into the installation hole 75, until the outer thread 551 completely occludes the inner thread 731. Therefore, the bottom panel 20 is secured to the first mounting member 50, and the locking portion 73 abuts the top surface 151 of the bottom panel 10. In this position, the locking portion 73 is between the bottom panel 10 and the stopper portion 71.

The stopper portion 71 is aligned to the wide portion 313 of the installation opening 31. The circuit board 30 is moved towards the bottom panel 10, until the second mounting member 70 extends through the wide part 313, and then the circuit board 30 is moved so that the mounting member 70 is extended through the narrow portion 311 contacts the flange 33 of the circuit board 30. At this time, the locking portion 73 is located in the narrow portion 311 and the stopper portion 71 resists the flange 22.

In disassembly, the circuit board 30 is moved parallel to the bottom panel 10 until the stopper portion 71 disengages from the flange 33 and the second mounting member 70 moves to the wide part 313 from the narrow portion 311. Thereby the circuit board 30 is easily dismounted from the bottom panel 10.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerous characteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoing description of embodiments, together with details of the structures and functions of the embodiments, the disclosure is illustrative only and changes may be made in detail, especially in the matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the disclosure to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A mounting apparatus for securing a circuit board to a bottom panel, comprising: a first mounting member, the first mounting member comprising a positioning portion and an installation portion extending from the positioning portion; a second mounting member, comprising a stopper portion and a locking portion, extending from the stopper portion; and an installation hole defined in the locking portion, and a plurality of blocking portions located on the stopper portion; and wherein the bottom panel defines a through hole, and the circuit board defines an installation opening; the installation portion extends though the through hole and is engaged in the installation hole via rotating the plurality of blocking portions, and the positioning portion abuts the bottom panel; and the stopper portion adapted to extend through the installation opening, for engaging with the circuit board.
 2. The mounting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bottom panel defines a top surface and a bottom surface, relative to the top surface; and a concave portion is located on the bottom surface, for receiving the positioning portion.
 3. The mounting apparatus of claim 2, wherein shape of the concave portion is polygon-shaped, and the positioning portion has a polygon shape corresponding to the concave portion.
 4. The mounting apparatus of claim 3, wherein a thickness of the positioning portion is less than depressed depth of the concave portion.
 5. The mounting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first mounting member further comprises a connecting portion, and the installation portion can extend from the connecting portion.
 6. The mounting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the installation opening includes a narrow portion, a guiding portion communicating with the narrow portion, and a wide portion communicating with the guiding portion.
 7. The mounting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the circuit board defines a flange surrounding around the narrow portion and the guiding portion, and the stopper portion abuts the flange.
 8. The mounting apparatus of claim 7, wherein two guiding surfaces are located on the flange.
 9. The mounting apparatus of claim 7, wherein a thickness of the flange is less than a thickness of the circuit board.
 10. The mounting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the stopper portion has a first cross section taken along a plane parallel to the bottom panel, the locking portion has a cross section taken along the plane, and area of the first cross section is greater than area of the second cross section.
 11. A mounting apparatus for securing a circuit board, comprising: a bottom panel defining a through hole, a first mounting member, the first mounting member comprising a positioning portion, and an installation portion extending from the positioning portion; a second mounting member, comprising a stopper portion and a locking portion extending from the stopper portion; an installation hole defined in the locking portion, and a plurality of blocking portions located on the stopper portion; and wherein the installation portion extends though the through hole and is engaged in the installation hole via rotating the plurality of blocking portions, the positioning portion is received in the bottom panel, the stopper portion is adapted to receive in an installation opening defined in the circuit board, and the stopper portion is adapted to engage with the circuit board.
 12. The mounting apparatus of claim 11, wherein the bottom panel defines a top surface and a bottom surface relative to the top surface; and a concave portion is located on the bottom surface, for receiving the positioning portion.
 13. The mounting apparatus of claim 12, wherein shape of the concave portion is polygon-shaped, and the positioning portion has a polygon shape corresponding to the concave portion.
 14. The mounting apparatus of claim 13, wherein a thickness of the positioning portion is less than depressed depth of the concave portion.
 15. The mounting apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first mounting member further comprises a connecting portion, and the installation portion can extend from the connecting portion.
 16. The mounting apparatus of claim 11, wherein the installation opening includes a narrow portion, a guiding portion communicating with the narrow portion, and a wide portion communicating with the guiding portion.
 17. The mounting apparatus of claim 16, wherein the circuit board defines a flange surrounding around the narrow portion and the guiding portion, and the stopper portion abuts the flange.
 18. The mounting apparatus of claim 17, wherein two guiding surfaces are located on the flange.
 19. The mounting apparatus of claim 17, wherein a thickness of the flange is less than a thickness of the circuit board.
 20. The mounting apparatus of claim 16, wherein the stopper portion has a first cross section taken along a plane parallel to the bottom panel, the locking portion has a second cross section taken along the plane, and area of the first cross section is greater than area of the second cross section. 